Review: Where Has Mummy Gone? By Cathy Glass

Once again, I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to review the latest Cathy Glass instalment: Where Has Mummy Gone? If you have read my other reviews, then you may be aware that I am a huge Cathy Glass fan, and the moment I have finished one book, I am already googling when the next book is to be released. Luckily for me, I was saved the aggravation when Harper Collins got in touch and informed me of the new book and kindly gifted me the latest release.

Yay!

Where Has Mummy Gone? is the true story of eight year old Melody, who comes into Cathy’s care after being rescued from a drug-dependent mother accused of neglect and engaging in prostitution. Melody comes into care with next to nothing and dirty, ragged clothing. She’s scared and confused and understandably angry at being separated from her mother – the only mother Melody knows.

“She tried to kick and thump the social worker when she visited yesterday and threw something at her when she began talking to her mother… One social worker described her as feral.”

Having read all of Cathy Glass’s books and having had parents who fostered children for several years, I feel I have some awareness of some of the circumstances of how a child can end up in care. Reading about Melody’s situation: on paper, it sounded terribly sad, but unfortunately quite like a standard case of a negligent mother neglecting her child due to a selfish addiction with drugs. However a few chapters in, it’s clear that something isn’t quite right as Melody obsessively worries about her mother and her aggressive nature soon becomes more anxious then hostile.

When Cathy meets Melody’s mother, Amanda, she is used to the rudeness and hostility she often meets with parents, but we’re not prepared for quite how disorientated and forgetful Amanda is, and discussions soon turn to Amanda being tested for drugs. When Amanda fails to turn up to contact with Melody, fuelled with Melody’s concerns and Amanda’s confusion, Cathy worries there something else going on, and we soon learn the truth about what has really been happening at home.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I think this book is a perfect example of how we shouldn’t pre-judge others, and to never judge a book by its cover! I think it also demonstrates that we need to be wary of not just vulnerable children, but also vulnerable families, as neglected children can be the result of a parent who is struggling perhaps mentally or emotionally as well as physically. Books like this like to remind us that we shouldn’t take every situation we see at face value and not to always look for the most obvious answer.

Whether intentionally or not, Cathy’s books always seem to deliver a moral message and sets a good example of how a kind and compassionate human being should behave. In this story, Cathy goes above and beyond the line of duty, and, again , shows that what she does is so much more than a job for her and is probably the reason why she has managed to foster children so successfully.

Cathy has over twenty five years experience of fostering and has cared for more than 150 children, but still leaves you with feeling that each child holds a special place in her heart. Where Has Mummy Gone? has an unexpected and heart wrenching ending and completely challenged my initial views of the direction I thought this book would take.

Despite her anger and confusion, Melody is a beautiful little girl and obviously intelligent with a lot of love to give, who just wants to be reunited with her Mummy.

I would recommend to anyone to read this; despite the serious nature of Cathy’s books, they are always easy to read and any social worker or foster carer jargon is patiently explained to her readers making this easy for anyone to pick up. It’s worth mentioning that as Cathy’s books each focus on the story of one child at a time, you don’t need to have read the previous books before picking any one up.